Biden celebrates Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday: ‘I admire you so much’

Washington
CNN
—

President Joe Biden wished former President Jimmy Carter on his 100th birthday, celebrating a predecessor he said he admired “so much.”

Calling the former president “a moral force for our nation and the world,” Biden introduced Carter as “a voice of courage, conviction, compassion and, above all, a beloved friend” in a message from birthday shared directly on camera. CBS News.

Carter, who has been in hospice care since February 2023, is the oldest president in American history. The Bidens have remained in close contact with the Carter family.

Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, said at the Democratic National Convention in August that his PawPaw was “holding its own” for the November election.

“He is hopeful. And even though his body is weak tonight, his spirit is stronger than ever. My grandfather can’t wait to vote for Kamala Harris,” he said.

Carter, a Democrat, oversaw key milestones at home and abroad, including the Camp David Accords, a peace deal between Egypt and Israel, and the creation of the Department of Energy, the Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He championed automobile emissions regulations and a seat belt and airbag requirement for vehicles, a very unpopular policy at the time. Carter formally established diplomatic relations with China, designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday, and presided over major conservation efforts in Alaska.

Carter left office after just one presidential term in 1981, amid criticism of his handling of the Iran hostage crisis.

It was perhaps the actions of his post-presidency that defined Carter’s legacy of service to others, including intense public health and democracy promotion efforts abroad.

“Even after leaving office, the moral clarity you demonstrated throughout your career was demonstrated again in your commitment through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity – resolving conflict, advancing democracy, preventing disease and much more,” Biden said on his birthday. message, filmed in front of Carter’s presidential portrait on the state floor.

“Simply put, Mr. President, I admire you so much,” he added.

Biden was one of the first senators to support Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign.

“Being ‘right’ on issues is not enough in 1976. Our nation and our party need a president who is not only right, but has demonstrated the ability to achieve our shared goals,” Biden and the senator wrote Birch Bayh in a joint statement. letter at the time.

Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden traveled to Plains, Georgia, to visit the Carters on the 100th day of Biden’s presidency in 2021.

“We sat around and talked about old times,” Biden told reporters after the visit, calling the Carters “old friends.”